Duplicity Divergence
by PSVT
Summary: She cannot escape from fighting a seemingly endless war against an incredibly stubborn foe. Fortunately, she has the Sailor Senshi at her disposal. So, yet another battle could not be all that different from the others, right? A sequel to The Final Mission.
1. Frauds

Author's Note: This is a bit of a stylistic departure from my other work, and I consider it somewhat experimental. It's also a multi-part sequel to the one-shot I wrote titled _The Final Mission_. That story is only about 3300 words long, and I very highly recommend reading it before starting this so that you can better understand what's happening here.

**1 | Frauds**

Jimmy McDougal is a fraud.

Now, before I go on, you might be wondering why I'm about to malign some poor bastard's character. I assure you that I'm not, because it's all true. He carries himself off as faithful to his girlfriend, but he acts the same way with both women. His personality is genial enough, but there's a malicious glint within his eyes that speaks of his persistent misanthropic thoughts. A slight twist of fate here or there, a tiny ripple in the fabric of time that alters destiny, is all that it would take to turn him into a murderer or even a terrorist. That's just one flaw. There's never enough money in his bank account, even though most people would consider him considerably wealthy. Furthermore, he has no compunctions with not ever sharing any of his money with more needy individuals. Knowing just that small slice about his personality, you might consider him a horrible person. But, it's not just pure greed that drives him, just as it's not an adulterous nature that compels him to seek relationships with multiple women.

Why did I say all of that? It's because, in a way, I can relate with him. Everything that I mentioned before is a mask that conceals the real person within that shell of a man. It's a mask that none of you could ever notice, but it's one that I can penetrate with ease. And, as I stare at him from across the small space that separates his table from mine, I can feel a slight bit of pity for him.

No, I've never cheated on a partner, but only because I've never felt close enough with another individual to consider them as such. Nor do I feel so much desire to gain wealth to the extent that he has acquired it. But there are two things that we have in common. We're both frauds, and we've both lost something dear.

In a sense, we're all frauds. Each of us hides behind a façade that we present to our friends, families, and complete strangers. His is a little more extreme, but it's not the worst. Unlike me, he doesn't create entire fantasy worlds from whole cloth in order to deceive people into doing his bidding. And, let me tell you, the entire idea of a Silver Millennium, of a kingdom on the moon and a princess of pure goodness and light, is nothing but a fantasy. It was a necessary lie to create for many eons, and it's just another facet of the duty that I have accepted. But, only recently have I realized just how much pain that deception could bring to a person who never deserved any of it.

Yes, I'm talking about Usagi. When I first saw her and knew she would be among the new agents, I thought she would be just like all the girls who preceded her. And, in a small way she was, at the beginning. But, her heart and her capacity for love were so much bigger than I ever imagined. I witnessed her grow into the best and most magnificent warrior that this small segment of the universe has ever seen. Hell, maybe in the entire universe if I'm willing to be honest with myself. The most special thing about her was that she never wanted to kill or even hurt anyone—monsters excluded, of course. Her most powerful weapon was her love and the fact that she truly cared for each and every person on the planet, even if they were complete strangers to her. In the end she was absolutely right. She did not need any artificial coaxing in order to save the people she loved. She did not need me to lie to her and to hurt her so badly with that lie.

So, that brings me to the second thing I have in common with Jimmy, and that's the sense of loss. At some point in the past he'd clearly lost someone vitally important to him, and that event ultimately caused him to create his façade. Who it was or how it came about I don't know, or I should say that I don't care to know. Once I peered that deeply into his soul I did not want to delve any deeper. I did not want to dredge up any of my own painful feelings in the process. What little I knew. It's really far too late for that now.

I do miss Usagi. I desperately miss that girl, more than any other person I've ever encountered. For as long as this planet continues to exist in the cosmos there will never be another light that shines as brightly as hers did. That's not some special insight that I have into the future. As much as I portrayed myself as a guardian of time, I don't have that ability. Nobody does. What I do have insight into is human nature, acquired from millennia of dealing with these wretched beings. In any case, I knew what my solemn mission required, and it was far from the first time I had to replace one group of senshi with their successors. In each instance I had felt nothing but a sense of pride in fulfilling my sacred duty. You may consider that cold-hearted or even worse, and you may be right. But, it is what it is, and the will of the universe dictates my behavior.

However, only with Usagi did I feel something more than emptiness. Maybe, if circumstances were different and I was born with the power to ensure the delicate equilibrium of good and evil, her fate would have been vastly different. Or, maybe it would have been just as well if the evil forces had continued its surge after Galaxia's attempted conquest, or if it had resurged a hundred years later. Then, once we had ensured the survival of Earth and the rest of the universe, I could have gotten to know this kind soul even better. Maybe we truly would have been friends, in the sense that goes far beyond camaraderie as warriors. I think I would have loved such a destiny. But, of course, it was never to be. So, I did what I had to do to ensure that this next generation of senshi could exist. I felt horrible doing it, and I almost regretted my actions. Almost. Despite the overwhelming misery and agony I experienced for many days and weeks afterward, I know that she never would have wanted me to give up the universe just to save her. She told me just as much, and she willingly accepted her fate even when I was just as willing to turn back. Her sacrifice is something I cannot possibly ignore.

Yet, I still think about that brief moment over and over again, and I still find myself searching for any other way I might have resolved that. Any means that could have brought about the new senshi and saved her all at the same time. It's strange, because I know exactly what the answer is. I know that it is impossible to do both, that the universe and the powers that control it will not allow such a perversion of their rules. I also know that, as much as I have come to care about her, that she's not above those very same rules. In the end, the universe and its survival is the most important. It is that knowledge that continues to buoy me and carry me beyond my lingering melancholy.

Anyway, I realize that I'm just wasting my time here. You might wonder why I'm even sitting in this small New York café instead of doing the job that I'm fully aware has to be done in Japan. After all, I only have brought together two of the five so-called guardian senshi, and I have to ensure the two girls not under Artemis's watch live long enough to realize their powers at the proper time.

It's simple. I just needed to get away before I went absolutely crazy.

That's not to say that I despise being around Yukina or Chieko. By that I mean following them from the shadows. They don't even know that I exist, and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible. Having said that, there's a lot one can learn about a person from stalking and passive observation. The more often I see them—no, it's really just Yukina. The longer I'm around her the more I realize just how different she is from Usagi, and that makes me yearn for that angel even more.

Did I ever mention how much I truly miss Usagi?

Anyway, there's nothing particularly wrong with Yukina. There's nothing particularly special about her either, and that's the main problem. Sure, she makes a decent Sailor Moon from what I noticed. She's certainly a better pure fighter than Usagi ever was—though she's still pretty horrible at it—and she's far more motivated to find her so-called princess this early into the matter than Usagi was. But, I don't care about any of that. I mean, I actually do care about it. Her ability and willingness to fight will only make my plans progress more smoothly. She's also friendly enough to be a pale imitation of the blonde in that regard, and that's useful in keeping the group united. It's just that she's missing that intangible thing that drew me to Usagi, and I don't know if she'll ever figure out how to find it within herself. That's assuming she even possesses such a thing at all.

Well, now that I think about it, maybe this is the way the world was supposed to work in the first place. I'm not supposed to be so unduly attached to girls who are mere puppets. And, despite how much I liked Usagi, how much I mourned having to do that terrible thing to her, and how much I continue to miss her, her existence was nothing more than an aberration in the overall grand scheme. I have to remember that, much like the girls who preceded her and the girls who no doubt will follow her, she was nothing but a pawn.

A special pawn, but a pawn nonetheless.

This really is why I say that I'm a fraud. Because, at some point down the line this whole defeating evil business will end for them. They'll believe in their hearts that they actually did some good for themselves and their families and whomever else they might know and consider a friend. Essentially, they're correct, but for all the wrong reasons. After that, they will wait for their prophesized destiny to arrive and for them to become some sort of cosmic royalty. However, I know the truth, and that truth is far more disappointing. A pedestrian life awaits all of them, followed by their end. Whether it is I or some other agent of fate who will have to deliver that demise is irrelevant.

Hmm. It looks like Jimmy is leaving now, and so is his date for the night. That poor, foolish woman has no idea what she's getting herself into. I guess that means I should leave as well. There's more than enough work that awaits me, and I can't run away from the bad memories by hiding out here. That much I've just proven to myself. So, I just have to make do with what I have and persevere, and maybe one day I won't have to worry about ensuring that evil doesn't overtake the universe or that its foil doesn't destroy all of existence either. On that day, I'm sure I'll find my true peace. Until then, I'll just continue to do what I do best.

Usagi wouldn't want it any other way.


	2. Starting a New War

**2 | Starting a New War**

I couldn't help but to have a slight feeling of déjà vu the last time I peered at the new guardian senshi from my hidden vantage point. Well, there were four of them there, at least, as Artemis's charge had yet to make her way over to them. I always find it strange that the lead senshi seemingly has to suffer some additional hardship that the others don't face, and this time is no different. It doesn't happen with every new Sailor Venus, but the frequency of that girl being forced to fight solo, and often on the other side of the planet, is uncanny. If I had my way—

Actually, no. Forget that I was about to say anything. It's not my place to suggest a sequence of events that differs from what fate has created. After all, there is a reason for every occurrence and its timing, and it is merely my job to ensure that nothing breaks that chain of events and destroys the preordained future. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Or, at least that's what you would hear me say sometime in the future if you were one of them, but it's nothing you'd have to worry about. Of course, you should know that's a complete lie by now, but it serves its purpose. Some things are completely out of my hands though, despite my desire to ensure some semblance of control. This is one of them. And, yes, if I had my way, it would not take months for all five girls to unite, nor would they be so weak from the outset. Granted, the experience of nearly dying—or sometimes actually dying—is quite character building, so long as the personality of the person going through that is compatible. Some girls have completely folded under the pressure, and it was only due to my intervention that the whole team did not fail. Obviously, that was rare, but it does seem that fate occasionally makes mistakes, and choosing an absolute, unfixable coward for a senshi is a damned big one. Most girls persevered and discovered a whole new level of mental and physical fortitude they never knew they possessed. And then there was Usagi, who at first appeared to be the worst person ever to be chosen for the job. Oh, what little I knew then. Her physical capabilities might have been lacking, but she made up for it with a mental toughness that far outshone everyone else's. Not only that, she never lost her immense capacity for love despite whatever horrific ordeal she had to endure.

I don't know what kind of person Yukina is yet. Something tells me she doesn't quite know either. She's holding up well now, but the evil that plagues us appears to be changing its strategy in a really big way, and I have no idea how she'll respond to that. At first blush it looks reminiscent to what the Dark Kingdom did during their search for the Rainbow Crystals, but in actuality the difference is starker than that between night and day.

Yes, yes, yes… I know there was not really any such thing as Rainbow Crystals, or a Silver Crystal—at least, no such physical object that I would have allowed to fall into their hands. So, why was there that whole interlude? It's quite simple, really. As I said once before, much of what I do is create fantasy designed to inspire the girls to fight. Well, the flip side of that coin is that I also engage in trickery against my opponents designed to tilt the inevitable senshi-versus-whatever battles in my favor. I would like to imagine that the evil I fight is terminally stupid, and that I can have my way with them whenever I desired. If that were true, I wouldn't have much of a mission, which is something I would not mind one bit. Sadly, that's far from true. The very existence of the Dark Kingdom and its various successors was a response to what I had done to them previously, and a damned good one at that. I was not thrilled with having to locate additional senshi, and I was doubly angered that I had to personally intervene more than once just so that we didn't get steamrolled by them. Even then, that nearly was not enough. If anyone other than that angel had been Sailor Moon, well… I don't even want to imagine the utter chaos and destruction that would have resulted. Fortunately the pain would have been short lived before the entire universe and all within it vaporized. There's a very important distinction between maintaining that necessary bit of evil within the universe and allowing it to run roughshod over everything. I barely tolerate the former, and I will never allow the latter.

Sorry for going off on another tangent. It's funny that I'm able to maintain any sort of solemn air of mystery during the few moments I meet with the senshi. Of course, I'm sure you know why I behave so differently around them.

Anyway, the attacks—or rather, how they're similar to what the Dark Kingdom had done in the past. If anyone remembers that original horror, they would recall the times when their lead general turned normal humans into his personal minions. Of course, none of you were around at the time, or could even remember such a thing even if you tried. None of the current senshi are remotely old enough to remember that either, and in a way they're extremely fortunate. If they knew… if they had any remote idea of what damage Kunzite had perpetrated then or what I believe they'll face soon, they might just quit while their hands and souls remain unsullied.

That alone is a good reason why I didn't intervene during their meeting, no matter how horribly misguided they were. I'm being extremely generous using that word "misguided," as there are some more choice phrases that I could use that would be more apt. A good example of what I mean is when Chieko suggested that our opponent's main goal was, and I quote, "to gather as much energy from humans as possible." Well, they certainly looked like they were going through the motions of doing that. Hell, they even said as much. But for her to take their words at face value is incredibly stupid, especially for someone who's otherwise incredibly gifted. What's worse is that none of them could see how wrong she was. Maybe I'm being too critical and not giving the girls enough credit for the good work they've done up to this point. However, I would imagine that if these dark forces were actually gathering energy from people that there would be obvious victims by now. Somebody, somewhere, would be suffering from an extreme form of lethargy. In fact, it would be a lot of somebodies at this rate. That's just one blatantly erroneous statement from a litany of such things. I'm certain my head would explode if I continued to think about such idiocy, so I won't. But, I know they'll learn—eventually.

They'll learn that there's a tremendous difference between siphoning a person's life energy and rearranging and redistributing that same energy. Whether they comprehend the lesson quickly enough is up to them. Again, my job right now is just to stand back and watch over our new senshi while doing what I can from afar to instill a fighting spirit within them and absolute confusion and terror in our enemies. This new strategy that they'll have to endure changes nothing as much as it changes everything. I fear I'll have to step in and personally take charge of things much sooner than I wished, but for now I'll remain in the shadows. It's more fascinating to see how their decisions, good or bad, guide their own destiny and the fates of thousands of innocent people. This is where both of us get to learn just what kind of person Yukina truly is.

At this point, I'm so tempted to do something incredibly unfair to that poor girl, which is to compare her to Usagi. I've already done that once before, in a sense, but that was at a time when the fight was deceptively easy. Now, I know damn well what that angel would do in this situation, and as much as we all would have protested she would have done it anyway. And, knowing her, as improbable as her plan would have seemed it probably would have worked out in the end—for all of us, at least. But, that's because she's far too wonderful and kind a soul to allow any harm to come to a single being, let alone death. Yukina? I honestly don't know. It would be quite a blessing of fate to have two beings of Usagi's caliber exist within my lifetime, especially one right after the other. It would also be the cruelest curse, and not just to Yukina. That's why I strongly doubt she could repeat the same miracles. In fact, I wholeheartedly wish that she doesn't.

That's really all I have to say for now, I guess. The next days and weeks should be an adventure, though it's not one I'd want to subject anyone to. In that regard, it really is true that Yukina's decisions and actions will spell the difference between a modestly decent outcome and one that dooms the entire universe. I just hope that she finds the ability to channel her powers—no, scratch that. In all honesty, I hope that she truly is the one capable of overcoming the evil she will soon face, even if she cannot spare everyone.

Though, it might not hurt for her to have a new tool to help her along the way, if Luna can prepare one soon enough. I don't think the Moon Stick from before will be quite as useful this time around.

* * *

Author's Note: And so here's a new chapter of what I believe will last no more than ten chapters in total. Please let me know in a review what you think about this story so far, if there are any glaring errors I missed, or if it just doesn't make any sense to you. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	3. When Things Go Wrong

**3 | When Things Go Wrong**

"Watch out! Don't let that thing—"

That's the warning Riko shouts before suffering the very fate from which she saved Yukina. If one thing is true, it's that she certainly doesn't lack bravery or a sense of what truly is important. In that regard she reminds me of the last girl to play Sailor Mars, though the current guardian of fire doesn't argue as often with Yukina. Either way, there's no disputing the fact that she would go so far as to sacrifice her own life to ensure the safety of the one she accepts as her leader and dearest friend. This act—equal parts selfless and stupid—provides all the proof anyone needs of that. With as much destruction and horror and heartbreak as I have seen in my long tenure with this job, you would think that I wouldn't be affected by what she did or what happened to her in response. For the most part, you would be absolutely correct, but I'll admit to wincing the instant that thing slammed into her back. That's a secret I'll keep to myself for as long as they're still alive. In any case, one of the senshi will not be awake to see the end of the battle. As grueling as it might be for them, I will not reveal myself or intervene on their behalf. They will have to win this fight on their own merit if they want any hope of succeeding in the future.

Besides, if they just took a few minutes to reflect, they'd quickly discover that their situation is not as terrible as they make it out. Then again, I have the luxury of not being pursued by that monster. Stress does wonders when it comes to killing any form of rational thought.

"Sailor Mars!"

Yukina races toward her fallen comrade with fear etched all over her face, though her widened eyes are most notable to me. However, before she can even make half the distance she falls to the ground, yanked backward by one of her pigtails. Not even a second later a thick mass of red and green darts past the space her head once occupied.

"Don't let that tail hit you, or else you'll end up like her." That is Atsuko, or rather Sailor Jupiter, giving her leader some sound, if not blatantly obvious, advice. Their conversation continues:

"What are we going to do? I can't even tell where that thing is half the time, and Sailor Mars is just sitting out there in the open."

"Don't worry. I'm sure Sailor Mercury will figure out a way to tell us where that youma is going to show up next."

"I surely hope so. Otherwise, we're all in a heap of trouble."

Some things just do not change across space and time, and the usefulness of the Mercury computer is one of those things. When Luna first concocted the device three generations of senshi ago, I openly wondered how it could be of any help to beings who had just begun dabbling with electricity in its rawest form. I was in for quite a shock when Athena took to the device as if it was a natural part of her body—after being convinced it wasn't a spawn of the metaphorical devil, that is. I can't fault the humans of that era for their silly superstitions. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that the computer can do wonders, so long as its user is decently competent. It isn't a source of miracles, however, and it has its definite limits. That should not be a problem for our current Sailor Mercury so long as she recognizes this truth.

Or, to put it another way, I anticipate a very long and horrendous battle ahead of them.

"I can see two places where I think the youma will show up in the next few minutes or so, given its erratic pattern." Chieko's voice warbled slightly as she spoke, betraying the apprehension she attempted to conceal. I can't say that I blame her, for if I were in her completely inexperienced shoes I would probably be just as frightened. "One location is somewhat far away, about two kilometers to the north. The other is inside the apartment building just fifty meters east of where you two are now."

"Inside the building?"

Sometimes I wonder about Yukina's cognitive ability when I hear her ask such silly questions that are already answered before she even opens her mouth. Then again, those moments remind me that, in some ways, she's not really all that different from her predecessor. Perversely, that actually gives me hope.

"I'm afraid so, Sailor Moon."

"But, how on earth are we going to get everyone out? We can't just leave that thing to attack those innocent people."

"I don't think that's possible, honestly. The best we can do, should it attack there, is to lure it outside so that they don't get hurt."

"Um, what would we do to that thing once we got it outside? Wouldn't it then just disappear again, leaving us right back at square one?"

"If we can launch our attacks quickly enough, maybe we can defeat it before it runs away." On the surface Atsuko makes a very good point here, but if she had paid more attention she would already know that isn't really an option.

"We shouldn't forget about the other predicted location. The bad news was that there's an equal probability of the youma reappearing over there as well as right here. We'll probably need to split up."

"But how can we do that with Sailor Mars knocked out cold?"

"That's definitely a huge problem, Sailor Moon." Indeed, it's a tremendously huge problem for them, but it's also an amazing learning experience for me. I'll be damned if I ruin it by interrupting them. "I'm not nearly as powerful as you or Sailor Jupiter, so I can't really do anything to help beyond what I'm doing now in feeding you information."

"I'll go check it out. If the youma strikes there, I'll give you guys a call before jumping in."

Atsuko's body language radiates overwhelming confidence as she rises to her feet and swiftly turns a wide grin to Yukina before running off into the distance. Heaven save that silly girl, for fate's certainly not going to do anything for her. Quite possibly the worst thing she could do is leave her leader and fallen friend behind. Her heart's in the right place, and I understand what she's attempting to do as the strongest physical fighter of the trio, but it's all for naught. At least, that's what I believe based on my experience. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt it. If there's any benefit to her disappearance, and I struggle mightily to find one, it's… well, it's that I can see that much more clearly how much Yukina has grown as a warrior and as a person without interference from another senshi.

Actually, that's horribly lame now that I think about it. I never needed help with that. But, speaking of help, _she_ definitely needed a fair bit of assistance. In my mind I count down: _five… four… three…_

Yep, there it is, and with a vengeance at that. Not even a minute has passed since Atsuko's departure. If I were advising the group I would have told them to ignore that second predicted location. Our opponent's ruse is to harvest energy from people, so why in the world would it go somewhere where there aren't many viable targets. Of course, I'm still trying to figure out their true endgame, if there is one beyond utterly destroying those girls and humiliating me in the process.

"_Kyaaaaaa!_"

I've heard Yukina scream before in anger and in agony, but that roar I hear from her is a completely different animal. It's pure, unadulterated, primal fury. Maybe her histrionics is a little excessive, but as she charges forth from her crouch with charged tiara in hand, I'm immediately reminded of that angel. Usagi never would have sat around passively and allowed her friends to be hurt if she had even the tiniest sliver of control over the situation. But…

"_Moon Tiara Action!"_

…she would also be much gentler in her actions. Or, maybe "gentle" is not the right word to use when regarding any creature that wasn't human or inherent to this planet. She'd gladly kill any monster without hesitation once her head was in the right place. That's pretty much the point I'm trying to make, that she was at her best when it mattered most. Yukina, on the other hand…

"_No! Get the hell away from her! Moon Tiara Action!"_

Let's just say I'm really glad Yukina's a much better fighter than Usagi was at this same moment in her tenure, if only because she has a lot more skills to completely ignore before she ends up making a huge mistake and getting herself killed. Seriously, this entire escapade is cringe-inducing. Maybe I never recognized or fully appreciated before today her relationship with Riko and how close the two girls are. I can see that Chieko is just as shocked by the revelation as I am. Or, could it be she's surprised that any of Yukina's reckless strikes seem to be hitting the target.

"Sailor Moon! Be careful! I'm coming down to help, and Jupiter should be here soon."

Chieko climbs down from her platform at a disturbing pace. Certainly she considered and ruled out jumping, but in my mind that's about the extent she's regarded her own safety. Atsuko is nowhere to be found, but I imagine that she's also rushing back as quickly as her legs can move her. At this rate, I don't know if those two senshi will be needed in the fight if Yukina's plan is to kill that beast, as she's doing a magnificent job of that already. However, I strongly hope that Luna had told her about the evil forces' new plan—or at least what I think they're up to—and gave her a new weapon to deal with it. Otherwise, we're in for one hell of a problem.

"I'm fine. Just don't let anything happen to Mars."

Ah, good. She does have another implement, and it's the Moon Stick after all. I would have thought that something else would be more fitting, but I have to have faith in Luna's judgment. That's her domain, not mine. Besides, it's way too late to change anything now that's Yukina is about to use the thing, and with a fierceness that's downright spooky.

"You won't be around to mess with the people I love anymore! Moon Healing Escalation!"

She repeats the motions that are oh-so familiar to anyone who has ever witnessed that kind of magic, and what follows the light show is the exact conclusion the girls had expected. Well, almost. All three girls are at first baffled at the sight before becoming utterly horrified. I, on the other hand, anticipated such an outcome, though I won't be so callous in suggesting that it is what I desired. It absolutely is not. There's a reason we're fighting this darkness after all, and it is to preserve the universe. By pure logic, that means saving the creatures within it as well. However, sacrifices occasionally must be made. The mere existence of these modern senshi is the result of the most painful sacrifice I ever had to make. Without them, there would be no universe to save.

Yet, that doesn't mean they have to be completely heartless monsters either. I fully understand the wretchedness they're feeling right now, though Yukina is suffering the worst of it. If any more color drains from her body, I won't be able to distinguish the poor girl from her unintentional victim.

"Please don't… don't tell me that she's dead."

"I can't detect any sign of breathing or a pulse. There's a faint amount of energy, but not enough to sustain life." Chieko puts the computer away, as there's nothing that soulless device could ever do to help, and with her still holding it she's just as useful. "I'm sorry."

"I'm sure you didn't mean to do that to her."

That's a heck of an understatement, one whose usefulness is debatable at best. Yukina clearly did not appreciate it as she flinched away from the hug Atsuko attempted to give her. She was just as reticent upon Chieko's attempt to embrace her. I know they mean well, and I sense that deep down she understands and accepts their sympathy. But, for whatever reason, I don't think she cares much for their kind words and gestures.

"Ugh… What the heck happened to me?"

"Riko!" Naturally, Yukina rushes to Riko's side and wraps her arms around the other girl in both an attempt to hold her up and as a tender embrace. All of her previous despondency seemingly disappears in an instant. I also find it troubling that she has completely forgotten that they're still transformed. However, that mistake pales in comparison to my joy in seeing that all of the senshi survived this fight. "Are you alright?"

"Oww… I feel like I've been run over by a train, but otherwise I'm fine."

"I'm so glad you're alive."

Chieko's voice is low and flat when she speaks, though I have my doubts it has much to do with the battle's aftermath. "Maybe we should leave. There's nothing more any of us can do here, anyway."

Yukina acknowledges the suggestion with nothing more than a shallow nod before she helps an unsteady Riko to her feet. Even with one of the senshi weakened by the attack, it does not take all four of them very long to leave the scene. None of them bothers to look back, though I can't really blame them.

These are the circumstances the girls will have to deal with from now on. It's not fair, not for them nor for anyone stricken by this evil we combat. Yukina seemed to take her death rather hard, a perfectly ordinary response given that she believed she was the one who killed her. However, something about this entire battle seems strange to me, and I can't quite figure it out. This feeling of uncertainty vexes me to no end. The worst part about it is that I don't know if the feeling originates from my nemesis or from my own senshi. If there is one certainty in my mind, it's that this war has just gotten a lot more complex than even I had initially envisioned.

Ugh. I know I probably should check on the senshi, and Yukina in particular, but I don't feel up to it right now. My brain feels like it's going to explode. It's during situations like this that I feel most grateful for my unique powers. Otherwise, I will have long since lost my sanity before I get even remotely close to that all-important café.

* * *

Author's Note: I found this a little difficult to write in terms of getting the viewpoint straight, as everything is supposed to be occurring from Setsuna's perspective, and yet making sure the actions and emotions of the other girls come through. Hopefully what I have here works out, but please tell me what you think about it. I'll do my best to improve anything that's lacking here.

Oh, and the next chapter should give you all some answers, even more questions, and a bit of a twist if I do it all well enough. It should come out maybe within the next month, but hopefully sooner.


	4. Just Stay Calm

**4 | Just Stay Calm**

At this moment, as I stare out of my window down onto the cityscape below, there's a certain set of phrases that's constantly going through my mind—like a mantra, if you will. Well, to be more honest those words are actually from a recording of some sort that I'm listening to, though I can't seem to remember where I managed to find it. No matter. Anyway, I must look fairly silly right now in trying to do what that woman's voice tells me. If I breathe any more slowly I'll probably pass out, and I think I've long ago run out of thoughts that I can consider passably happy. As for being calm, that's the one thing that seems just out of reach. I would love to be calm right now, if only so that my hands would stop trembling so badly.

No, I'm not nervous about that. I have plenty to be apprehensive about, but this upcoming meeting is far from it. Instead I would describe my current emotion as unbridled fury tempered with plain annoyance. Unfortunately, I'm not in any position where I can take my anger out against that vile entity. If only my nemesis had a physical form. So help me, I would scour the universe to find that miserable creature and blast it beyond the realm of existence. Then I would do it again, and again, and again. How's _that_ for immortality? But, that's not possible in this reality, and killing that bastard's minions is a very pathetic substitute.

You're probably wondering why I am so furious right now. Just imagine the way you would feel if you discovered that a sacrifice that you knew—and I mean absolutely _knew_, without a shadow of a doubt—to be worthy suddenly turned out to be completely unnecessary. No, that's not the one I'm thinking of, though barely a day passes when I don't wish that blessed angel could have escaped her destiny. I don't think I could continue living if that were the case. Though I never knew the poor lady, I would've done everything in my power to see that she survived if I knew it was a possibility. A younger version of me would not have cared so much about a few innocents in the pursuit of a much grander aim. However, that was before I met Usagi. Without knowing it, she taught me the most valuable lesson I have ever learned.

So, I guess my current rage is a natural by-product of such compassion. I had an opportunity—well, Yukina had an opportunity to destroy that monster without damaging that woman's soul. Of course, she never could have guessed that her actions would have directly resulted in a person's death, let alone anticipated that she had a way to avoid it. A whole lot of bitterness and melancholy could have been avoided otherwise. She had returned to being an utter wreck when I finally got around to checking up on her, some unknown amount of time after Riko had left. I could comment on the strange dynamic that has grown among the girls, but I won't because it's not relevant right now. Maybe I'll do so later. My point is that her sadness and the event that precipitated it could have been avoided had we known exactly what our adversaries had planned for us.

Okay, I understand what you might be thinking. Shouldn't it be _my_ fault that the woman died, since it was my failure in fully recognizing and understanding the evil plan? That is one of my missions, after all, if not the single most vital mission I have. Well… yes—but, if they hadn't done something so despicable in the first place I wouldn't have failed…

_* Take a deep breath. *_

No.

_* Think happy thoughts. *_

No. I can't make that lame-ass excuse. I just can't.

_* Just stay calm. *_

God dammit! Yes, it's _my_ fault! It's my fault that she died! _Mine_! I should have intervened, if only to tell Yukina that she can't just expunge the youma's energy if there wasn't another life force available to replace it. _Gah_!

_* Just. Stay. Calm! *_

* * *

I can now say that punching a solid concrete wall hurts like hell, superhuman strength or not. Normally I don't lose my composure to such an extreme extent, but… just think about it for a second. How would you act if you found out that your failure was responsible for someone's death? Hmm? How would you feel if you knew that such a circumstance was completely avoidable? If you have any hint of a conscience, you would behave the exact same way.

No. What I had to do in the past most definitely does not count against me, nor does it make me a hypocrite.

I should stop before I go down another unnecessary tangent. My hand hurts enough as it is. I don't need to go about injuring my other appendages. Anyway, there is more important stuff, namely two questions you should be asking yourself right now. At least, these are the questions that have been plaguing my mind for far too long. What actually happened to that woman? And, how was it that Yukina failed to save her?

The answers to those two questions depend on a deep knowledge of how life energy flows through a human or any other creature in the universe. I'll have to be succinct since I expect Luna to arrive any minute now. At the same time I don't want to leave you thoroughly confused with no payoff. But, it mainly has to do with the particular type of life energy a creature has, how much it has, and the paths that the energy takes as it flows within and between individuals. The life energy I possess as a magical being—and the same is true for Luna and Artemis—differs greatly from the energy that woman and all other ordinary people have. All of the senshi are essentially hybrids in this regard, as they were once average girls before gaining control of magic. Of course, all of this is dictated by fate, and it is one of my jobs to recognize candidates like these girls by detecting these abnormal patterns of energy flow.

I'm pretty sure that what I've said so far is overwhelming on its own, so I won't go too much farther in depth. There's lots more minutia that I could mention, such as how the transformation items Luna and Artemis designed manipulate the flow of energy to provide the girls their powers. Believe me when I say that's a fascinating subject that I could spend a great deal of time talking your ear off about on a day when I'm absolutely bored or drunk. But we don't need that amount of detail to understand why I'm so pissed off at our enemies and, more so, at myself.

So, back to that poor woman. I remember thinking once before that the strategy of my enemy's current incarnation is similar to what Kunzite had done, though with some crucial differences. I thought I fully understood the differences, but I was wrong. What the Dark Kingdom had done was add a youma's life force to that already possessed by the person they had chosen as their target. Essentially, that doubles the amount of energy with the youma's energy taking precedence. However, removing that negative energy in the manner that Usagi had done allows the victim to return to their normal human form.

Easy, right?

Well, my nemesis clearly thought that as well, and it took great steps to not have a repeat of that humiliation. Instead of merely adding to the existing life energy it replaced that energy wholesale with the dark energy of its choosing. What subsequently happened with the human energy is the part over which I'm currently kicking myself. I knew that it had to be placed somewhere after removal, but I wasn't entirely sure about where. My assumption was that it was left intact but placed somewhere that Yukina couldn't access, so that she couldn't then return it to its rightful owner. That was my crucial mistake. I had wondered at the time why Luna had given her the Moon Stick and not some other tool for redirecting the flow of life energy. She already knew what I had failed to grasp until it was far too late. That woman's soul was not destroyed or lost someplace where it could never be found. It had remained on this planet the entire time. Sure, Yukina would've had to work especially hard to find it and restore it to the woman, more than Usagi ever did, but it was fully possible.

But, how is that my fault? Simple. I should have intervened—not directly, of course, but by helping her locate the energy that I knew was concealed. Yes, I absolutely want to see what she can do on her own, but I had already observed more than enough by that moment to know that she is capable. Yes, her blinding rage had diminished her skills and caused her to wildly lash out at the youma, but it was effective. Her actions were beyond sufficient to answer my questions. However, when it came time to use the Moon Stick, I should have been there for her. They are my senshi, and it is my solemn mission to guide them in conquering this evil. There is a distinct difference between assisting them while remaining in the shadows and just sitting around watching them flounder and ultimately fail.

In the end, their failures are my failures.

It's too late to do anything about that now. My only remaining option is to do everything within my power to ensure that Yukina can persevere and ultimately defeat this evil without any pointless sacrifices. I'm not suggesting that everyone will be saved from here on out. The enemy is far too sneaky and smart to give me everything I want. I know this now. But, I'll be damned if I don't at least try to live the lesson espoused by that angel for as long as I can.

Well, sorry this is a bit short, but Luna's here now and I don't want to keep her waiting. I'm sure we'll have quite an interesting and lively conversation over the next several minutes. Unfortunately, Artemis couldn't make it today, but he said that he and Asami will be joining the others soon. I only caught a glimpse of our new Sailor Venus early on, but that was enough to fill me with cautious optimism.

Anyway, wish me luck. Given what just happened, I fully expect to receive an earful from her. I only hope my hearing isn't completely wrecked once we finally get around to talking strategy.

* * *

Author's Note: So, after some serious thought, I decided that I will focus my efforts on this particular story. What that means for you readers is that updates will occur more frequently than what I had originally planned. Having said that, I still intend to spend as much time as needed to create the best story possible. Please let me know whether I've succeeded or failed at that, and if there's anything I could improve or clarify.

As always, thank you all for reading, and a double thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I especially thank Dark Moon Ministry for the very helpful and, admittedly, very motivational comments.


	5. Troubles with Fantasies

**5 | Troubles with Fantasies**

I'm confused.

I rarely ever admit such things out loud, but it's true. I'm woefully confused right now.

It all started yesterday during my meeting with Luna. She is a very beautiful creature with whom I enjoy working dearly, so long as I work here and she works somewhere all the way over there, wherever there happens to be. Don't get me wrong. It's not that I hate her or anything like that. It's just that we often have differences of opinion that spill over into painfully loud shouting matches. To be honest, it's more often the case that she's shouting at me than the other way around. I've learned long ago not to be fooled by her cute feline disguise. She's a feisty little being that would not hesitate to rip anyone apart, argumentatively or even physically if she had the ability. The only reason that she merely berated Usagi, and only occasionally at that, was the fact that she grew to love her so much. I can't blame her for that at all.

Anyway, once she finished giving me a piece of her mind, we spent an hour or so trying to piece together our enemy's strategy. We know that they're replacing the normal life energy of targeted humans with dark energy to turn them into youmas. But, neither one of us actually knows what exactly it is that we're supposed to be fighting. During our previous conflict there was some physical presence that we had to battle that was not a youma, such as Beryl and her Shitennou, the Death Busters, or others of that ilk. That's the pattern that has repeated over and over again, and it's something that we naturally expected to see this time as well. After all, they can't spread their foulness throughout the universe and ultimately destroy it without actually occupying it in some physical form. It's the same reason we're here on Earth and not back at home. But, several months into this escapade has brought us nothing but a whole stream of youmas. We can't make any progress unless we fight them directly. And by "we," I mean the senshi, of course.

Could it be that our nemesis has discovered some method of spreading their terrible influence without actually coming to this planet? I sincerely hope not, but something tells me that's not case. For all the power they possess they cannot break free of the rigid bounds of natural law. None of us can. So, that's no good. The most likely idea is that our true opponents are hiding somewhere on this planet, though not necessarily near where they're sending the youmas. If so, where are they hiding? More importantly, why are they hiding? Are they afraid of us destroying them before they can achieve any of its goals? Or are they executing a novel tactic designed to drive us completely bonkers? Because, if it's the latter, then they're succeeding marvelously.

Sometimes I wonder instead if it is my fault for our current troubles. Did I make a terrible mistake in creating for them so complex a fantasy? I don't take them for idiots at all, but have they finally wised up to my tactics so that they don't even bother participating at all? I don't know the answer to any of those questions, and it bugs me. However, there is one question that truly frightens me instead of merely annoying me.

Am I falling for the same type of trap that I subjected them to for so long?

What I mean by that is, as a master at creating illusions I shouldn't be prey to them myself. This is why I'm wracking my brain right now and why I'm frustrated that I keep coming up short, because this whole game is about information. What do I know that they can't possibly know or find out? I've always had the edge when it came to knowledge. That's how I managed to overcome my enemy's advances for so long, even when it seemed at times that evil would prevail and place at risk all of existence. I don't know why things have turned out so differently now. All my intimate knowledge of their tactics, acquired over a length of time that an ordinary person like you would find utterly mind-boggling, seems completely useless to me right now. Oh, what I would give for just a tiny sliver of, well… anything. Any scrap of information that would tell me what the hell they're doing or what they're planning…

Huh? What the hell is this, another attack already? That's unusual. Actually, unusual is an understatement, and a horrible one at that. I don't remember them attacking so quickly in succession, ever. But, then again, I don't remember them ever having so disturbingly large of an advantage over me either. Otherwise I wouldn't feel so terrible right now and I'd have saved you all from yet another rant.

Anyway, I should go now before those girls get into too much trouble. I'll make for damned sure this time around that they won't make a mockery of me or my senshi by giving us such a hollow victory.


	6. Consequences of Duty

**6 | Consequences of Duty**

It's quite interesting what's happened over the past few weeks—or, at least, I think it's interesting. Given Yukina's immense emotional trauma after that poor woman's death, I'd have expected our enemy to repeat that tactic soon thereafter. But, my senshi have only seen run-of-the-mill youmas ever since. The good news is that they're having no real difficulty in defeating them, but then again such monsters hardly present a true challenge. I would be absolutely flabbergasted if any of those girls, Yukina included, failed to destroy those pathetic creatures by themselves, let alone as a group.

However, I still question the entire purpose of this exercise, and for good reason. Is this series of almost daily attacks merely a feint that disguises some other more sinister plot that I haven't yet been able to uncover? Well, if there is another angle to this, they're doing one hell of a job of keeping it secret. Believe me when I tell you that I've been searching for practically every second of every day since my last meeting with Luna, yet I've always come up empty. It's true that I rarely need to sleep in the conventional sense, unlike normal people. I'm assuming by the time any of you find this record that it'll remain the case, but what do I know? Those strange creatures calling themselves humans have managed to surprise me more than once before. Anyway, I've been pushing myself so hard lately that quite literally I can feel exhaustion creeping up on me. Heh. Prognostication powers or not, I say here and now, without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, that a very plush bed is in my future.

Meh, enough useless introspective blabbering, as I'm sure you're more interested in the fact that Asami has finally joined her comrades. She is every bit the excellent individual fighter that Artemis said she was. Whether that translates into good leadership is anyone's guess, especially since Yukina's had such a firm handle on the group's activities for quite a while now. Now that I think about it, it's been a few months, which makes it extraordinarily difficult for a newcomer to just hop in and expect the others to blindly follow her. I really hope it doesn't lead to friction between the girls, as that could be disastrous to my efforts. Yukina just doesn't have the same lovable personality that Usagi had. She might be in control now, but a single mistake by her very well could split the senshi.

Ah good, we're here now. A rail station's not exactly the safest place to fight, but unfortunately I didn't get to choose the battlefield. There's quite the potential for innocent bystanders getting hurt if those girls don't act quickly, which is somewhat ironic as the mad rush of those people away from the youma is actually making it hard for the girls to fight the youma in the first place. Fortunately, Atsuko's leading them through the crowd, acting somewhat like a plow. It's a rather fitting role for her given the circumstances, and she's doing the job quite well.

Crowd management issues aside, this fight really shouldn't take them very long. I mean, I can see all the way from here that it's a rather weak youma. I might be making an obscure reference here when I say that the monster here is very similar to the one Jadeite used in his first attempt, but that's exactly what it reminds me of: a creature vaguely humanoid in shape with gray skin and dead black eyes. It's something Usagi defeated by herself—well, mostly by herself, but I won't go into yet another unnecessary tangent. Let's just say this time around I decided not to complicate senshi matters by including a warrior that wasn't one.

In any case, I'm surprised that our little youma fiend here is not even remotely disguised as a human. Then again, naked youmas die just as quickly, and I expect nothing less here.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

As I said, the fight wouldn't last for very long, and a quick toss of Yukina's tiara turned it into—

Wait.

Hmm… this doesn't look quite right. The youma turned into the typical pile of dust upon impact, but I'm not sure the girls are safe quite yet. However, judging from their conversation they seem to be awfully relaxed. Maybe I'm just being paranoid.

"Well, that went a lot easier than I thought it would."

"Hey! No fair! You hogged the bad guy and didn't even let me get a shot in." That's Asami, by the way, who's pouting like mad while she complains loudly at Yukina. "I wanted to get in a good Crescent Beam against _something_ today, especially after being forced to waste an hour of my life in detention."

"Don't worry about it, Sailor Venus. I'll let you get the next one."

"But by then it'll be too late to pretend that my idiotic math teacher is a youma."

"Guys, I'm sure all of us like killing these monsters, but I think we should do something to help these victims. Some of them are pretty badly injured, and it might take a while for ambulances to arrive."

Chieko makes a good point somewhere in there, but if I were her my first suggestion would be to leave. That might sound cruel coming from me, but you already know I've done far, far worse. Besides, as noble as her intentions might be, what on Earth is a fourteen-year-old girl with no real medical training going to do in that situation? I mean, besides accidentally make a bad situation even worse. If anything, she should be the one making the call to the police instead of trying to play doctor. Somebody has to, after all.

"Look out, Sailor Mercury!"

I have no idea how, but Atsuko noticed the hand explode upward toward Chieko's throat even before Chieko herself did. Her warning was a little late, but… yes, she's able to pry that woman's hands off of Chieko's neck. For a second there I was worried that I'd be down a senshi. That's not something I want at all, and especially not so soon.

The way things appear right now, it seems I'm right to be wary. I don't know if that woman is merely a monster-in-disguise or another instance of a person whose life energy has been swapped. God knows the last thing I want is a repeat of that horror, and not just for that woman's sake or Yukina's. But, whatever it is, it's holding up well against Atsuko's lightning. It looks like this is going to be a much longer battle than I had originally thought.

"Be careful. I don't think she's alone."

It makes sense that Riko would be the one to detect the anomaly. For someone who doesn't quite yet have all of her psychic powers, I'm impressed that she figured it out at the same time I did. That or she made a wild guess. Eh… it doesn't really matter in the end. On the other hand, seeing that girl inch ever closer toward Yukina doesn't surprise me one bit. If I've learned anything from watching these two, it's that they wouldn't dare let the other get hurt for any reason. Just thinking of it now, it really does brings back memories of Ha—

"_Aiiieeeee!_"

…Ouch. Okay… if I were my enemy—and I recognize that's a horrifically terrifying thought, certainly not something I would wish upon this fragile reality—I would do something very similar to what I'm witnessing right now. Asami is a wonderful fighter and a marginally decent tactician to boot, but she's paying quite a heavy price for being caught flat-footed. I just wonder how she's going to escape from—oh. Um… that's how, I guess.

"Oh God! Venus!"

Again, they're merely pawns to me in this great scheme when all is said and done, but I cannot imagine how much excruciating pain she must feel right now. To be launched straight into a concrete pillar. And, head-first at that. Maybe I need to seriously consider entering this fight. There's no real need for my concealment anymore after all. And, yet…

Huh? What the hell?

Sorry for this abrupt interruption, but I think I found the answer to my question, and I'll be goddamned if I'm going to sit around and let that bastard get its way. Not today. If that thing has any sense of self-preservation it'll tell me what I want to know and it'll do it in a hurry. I've bashed my head against the wall for too many months trying to figure out my opponent's plan to just sit around and let the answer taunt me like this. I'm sure the girls will do just fine without me hovering over them every second.

I'll be back.

* * *

Dammit.

The thing I detest about these kinds of interludes is that they prevent me from forming a complete thought about the topic at hand. But, I had to pursue him—and I say him only because that creature took on a masculine form—in order to get the answers I desperately want. Beating the crap out of him was just a side bonus but let's face facts, okay? He brought it on himself. I mean, what blithering idiot is audacious enough to taunt someone like me directly to my face and expect to survive for more than a few minutes? Clearly the one who I beat into a bloody pulp, and just as a warm-up at that, before eliminating him from all of existence in the slowest and most painful way I know. Maybe I should've left him for the senshi so that they could understand just what they're fighting and why, but… whatever. I can tell them everything they need to know anyway. I was not going to give up my moment of satisfaction oh so easily.

I should probably calm down now, but just thinking about this bastard and the tricks he's pulled against both me and my senshi is enough to royally piss me off. But, since I have a few minutes or so before I catch back up to those girls anyway, I should explain what's actually occurring here. It won't help me cool down all that much, but it's better than having me curse and rant all the way there.

Anyway… it seems my opponent absolutely has learned several lessons from our past war, the one that involved Usagi and her friends. Not that I doubted they would, but now I have a better idea of just how they intend to operate in the present. Mainly their scheme involves a series of mind-games designed to frustrate not just my senshi but me as well. Having Yukina kill that woman was just the start, and they planned for much worse in the future. As I had assumed earlier, any pretext of gathering life energy from humans was merely a red herring. Of course, that's only because they already had all the energy they needed before starting any of this mess.

That brings me to the second thing I learned, which is that they've been operating in the shadows for much longer than I thought. It's also the part of this that infuriates me the most, since I feel like some of this could have been stopped. No, it should have been stopped, absolutely. Maybe then, I wouldn't have needed to do that disgusting act. Maybe… maybe that beautiful angel would still be here today, and with her friends and her happiness still intact.

Yes, I know it's all in the past now and I shouldn't spend so much time sulking over it, but I can't help it. If you were in my position you'd feel just as miserable as I do right now. I mean, they were siphoning energy from people for years before Luna or I had even found the slightest hint of their existence. Years! Think about it! So much pain could have been avoided if I only knew what to look for…

Fuck.

Heh… now you know why I'm so riled up in the first place. Not only that, but our own strategy has to be completely changed now because of this. It means I have to directly involve myself in the fight. I can't hide in the shadows anymore, because the girls would never be able to figure out what's going on around them on their own. But, that's a topic I'll expand on later, now that I'm back, and…

No.

Oh, God no. I-I can't believe…

Wait. Yukina didn't just say what I thought she said, did she? I really, really hope she didn't say anything as blatantly stupid as I thought I heard her say. And the others aren't knocking any sense into her right now either? Seriously, what the hell is happening here? This isn't supposed to happen this way, not at all. Doesn't anyone have—?

_Argh!_

You know what? Forget it. I… I don't care right now. I won't sit here and listen to any of this shit. I just need to leave before I lose the last bit of my sanity and do something I know damned well I'll regret.

I wouldn't want Usagi to be ashamed of me as well.

* * *

Author's Note: I'll do my best to get the next chapter finished and posted within a week from now. Since there should be no more than ten chapters total with this story, my goal is to complete it before the end of the month. Afterward, I'll likely go on a sabbatical while I try to figure out what I'm doing with this whole writing thing.

Anyway, many thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think of the story so far.


	7. Learning Lessons

**7 | Learning Lessons**

Before I go on I want to just say that I wish I truly did possess the power to rewind time. If I had that luxury I'd use it to return to a much simpler era, one that wasn't so riddled with complete idiocy. Unfortunately I'm not so blessed, and as such I have to deal with my opponents on one hand who are hell-bent on killing random innocent people and my senshi on the other who see no problem in doing the exact same thing.

It's… infuriating.

Yes, I know, it's also absurdly hypocritical coming from me. Normally I'd be the first one to sacrifice anyone and everyone to ensure that evil does not expand throughout this little sector of the universe. And yes, I'm very much guilty of that, and not just in eliminating the old senshi when their time is done. But, the key phrase that guides me is "when absolutely necessary," and I strongly doubt we've come to a time during this arc of the war where killing anyone is necessary at all. In fact, I'm not sure that any of the deaths these girls have caused were unavoidable. Certainly the first one wasn't, and neither were the two that happened yesterday.

My horribly brief time with Usagi has taught me an extremely valuable lesson. Even when I was merely watching her and her friends from the shadows I could tell that she was special. Indeed she was, for never before had Luna, Artemis, and I endured a campaign as long as those five years without incurring a single death. Well, not a single permanent death, mind you. Those girls had to suffer a brutal death twice, and I was not spared such an indignity myself. Ironically, she was the one who saved me—who saved all of us—despite the fact she never would have had the capability had I not recognized her powers in the first place.

Hmm… Maybe that's yet another reason why I regard that angel so highly. She was by far the most powerful Sailor Moon I have ever seen. I have to believe that it was her love for everyone and her desire to protect everyone, no matter what, that enhanced her powers well beyond what I had intended for her. And if that's not special enough, she managed to have the same effect on her comrades. She instilled in them the same love of life that she had, which is quite the impossible feat otherwise. Good thing, too, since those vile creatures I call my enemy decided that time to escalate the conflict to an intensity I hadn't seen in centuries. Needless to say, it's even worse now.

I vaguely remember comparing Yukina to Usagi some time ago, and saying something to the effect of I wish Yukina is not like Usagi. The exact words I don't quite remember and I don't feel like interrupting this to look them up, but the main gist is that I was afraid of what damage my psyche would endure if I had to subject Yukina to the same horrible death. Well, the good news is Yukina's definitely not another Usagi.

The bad news is she's definitely not another Usagi. She's far, far from it in the most important ways possible.

If you're still not convinced, and if you're reading any of this I honestly don't know how that could be, then I'll explain.

Let's say, for the sake of my argument, our enemy was just a tiny bit craftier in the past and subjected Usagi to the same attack Yukina faced several weeks ago, the one that ended the life of that innocent woman. The result would have been a horribly devastated Usagi. That's perfectly fine and natural. However, when faced with a similar situation the second time, I'm sure she would've done everything in her power to avoid killing another innocent soul.

And, yes, I know… I know damned well that Yukina could have been prevented from killing two more innocent people had I been there to tell her what to do. My anger is not directed solely at the senshi. But, I want to finish this thought while I still can before I forget to mention anything vital.

Anyway, had Usagi failed a second time in saving innocent lives, she certainly would not have tried to rationalize the deaths in her mind as something useful or even good. No. Absolutely not. Her heart wouldn't have accepted such an outcome, and she would have been rendered inconsolable for days on end, if not far longer. Afterward she would contemplate giving herself up to the enemy with the idea that her own death would prevent any others. It's not exactly the smartest idea, sure, but she would think it, and her friends would try their hardest to talk her out of it. Then, they would continue fighting even more carefully than before until the enemy that forced them into such an awful situation was eradicated. Granted, this is all speculation on my part, and Usagi was extremely lucky to avoid such a fate so we'll never truly know how she'd react. It's just how I believe someone as pure-hearted her would handle it. She would never think of death—of wanton killing—as justified under any circumstance, ever.

Apparently Yukina disagrees, and so do those other stupid girls.

Yes, they hide behind the guise of it being a necessary sacrifice, but knowing what I know now it's all pointless. There is no such thing. Maybe when I meet with them they'll finally learn that same lesson. I can only hope they take it to heart.

Oh, I guess that finally brings me to my other point, which is why I wasn't there for my senshi when they needed me. Had I not run after that guy—I don't know what to call such entities yet. For lack of a better word I could use "general," though it might be too reminiscent of their past tactics. Anyway, had I not chased him I wouldn't have found the answers I needed. It makes sense, right?

Yeah… no. It doesn't.

Sure I learned a lot, but it came at too great a price. Not only that, the more I think about just how that particular battle was set up, the more I'm convinced it was a trap from the very beginning. I never noticed a general or whatever lurking nearby the battles before, even when I knew there should be one. Then, what do you know, like magic he finally shows up right on the eve of the most crucial battle we've ever faced. Of course, I didn't know that at the time and neither did the girls. I have this sneaking suspicion that they planned it that way from the very beginning. They knew I would have been drawn to such a general once he finally appeared, and…

_Gah!_ Yeah, his incessant taunting makes a lot more sense now. Fucking hell. I should have realized what he was doing. Dammit, I can be so stupid at times.

I really should stop. The whole reason I'm here on the other side of the planet is to find some hint of inner peace before I meet with those girls tomorrow. Continuing this rant is just going to piss me off again. After all, it's the first time they'll learn of my existence, and the last thing I want is for that to be a catastrophe as well.


	8. Dance of Doom

**8 | Dance of Doom**

First off, I have such an unbearable headache right now that I'm not sure how long this will be. I thought that wretched pounding in the back of my skull would've gone away after relaxing for all of yesterday. Yet, no amount of sleep or meditation seems to have worked. Heh. Apparently I can only take so much pure frustration before it morphs into a physical ailment, and a fairly stubborn one at that. But, I guess I should shelve my disappointment and look on the bright side. The throbbing is not as bad as it once was. That's a good thing. Furthermore, I'm the one in pain, which means I successfully managed to contain my fury before exploding in front of those girls.

Funnily enough, that leads me in a roundabout way to the point that I should be making right now in place of incessant complaints.

So, I met with my senshi for the first time two days ago. I wish I could have recorded the ins and outs of our gathering, but it's difficult to provide historical context when I'm actually a part of the conversation. It's very unfortunate to be honest, but I feel that random dialogue alone, devoid of the reasoning and emotions that created them, cannot possibly do such a significant event justice. Sure, I could have used more pedestrian devices to capture our meeting for posterity. I'm absolutely certain none of them would have minded, assuming they ever had a choice in the matter. Then again, to use man-made technology in such a manner is to accept a very human understanding of the word. A lack of true longevity is merely one of humanity's many, many flaws.

Yes, I'm rambling, and I can't guarantee that I won't do so again, but I'll try my best to stay on topic and not deviate toward useless tangents. Trust me when I say, however, that it's extremely difficult when the topic itself infuriates me to no end.

Anyway, the meeting. I encountered the girls exactly when I expected to see them as they arrived at their favorite hangout, a karaoke bar. Certainly their surprise was also anticipated when they saw me at the counter instead of the normal manager. A simple white lie about the man being sick, thus forcing me to take over for the evening, was all I needed to deflect any worry as I escorted them to their room. Then, once the door to their private sanctuary closed behind them, the magic truly began.

Oh, right now would be a perfect time to explain in excruciating detail how I create my illusions, but I just said that I wouldn't go off rambling. Such a shame, too. It's quite the fascinating topic. I definitely need to that when I actually find enough free time—provided I don't forget like I've done so often in the past. But, enough blabbering already. Back to the story.

The transformation between their world and mine was subtle at first, as I didn't want to completely startle the poor girls. Not to say they weren't at all shocked to find me sitting on the sofa in the very same room with them once they closed the door. As far as they knew I was walking back to the front counter. If I had to wager, I'd say my little trick had stunned Chieko the most whereas Riko merely stared at me as if she understood what I had done and wasn't too pleased with it. Nonetheless, my act demonstrated to them in a very clear fashion that they shared the room with a very special individual, though they still had no real clue of just how much of an understatement that was.

It was good that they only needed a few seconds to relax to my presence, as it made getting to business that much easier for me. Introductions were quick, mainly because they only needed to know what I wanted them to call me. Suffice it to say, I adopted a new pseudonym for these girls as in no way are they deserving of my previous name and the memories, beautiful and miserable alike, that it holds. Afterward, I informed them quite bluntly that I knew of their identities. That earned me a quintet of suspicious—if not outright threatening—glares until I told them that I would join them as Sailor Pluto.

Up to then, everything about the meeting was perfectly fine. Then the floor collapsed, figuratively speaking. I told them that I had been monitoring their previous fights from afar, and that I knew what had happened regarding those deaths. It was a true statement as well as a prelude to my insistence to join them in future fights. Maybe in hindsight it was a mistake on my part to be so blunt. How could I have known at the time that such a revelation would have infuriated Riko to that extent? After all, each of those girls had rationalized Yukina's horrific act. Why would there be so much vitriol directed at me for daring to bring up what she had done? Not only that, but the other girls were equally confused at her outburst. Well, if there was a—

What? Right now? Heh… that's just great.

It seems my brilliant nemesis picked the perfect time to demonstrate just how much of a belligerent jerk it is. _Gah!_ No, it's not at all necessary to explain the consequences of her outburst on my relationship with the senshi. Hopefully I can find the time to get back to this, as it's an extremely vital part of the history I'm trying to preserve.

That, and grousing on and on about just how painfully wrongheaded and irritating my oh-so wonderful senshi are at times is amazingly therapeutic.

* * *

Heh. I seem to be having the worst luck lately when it comes to actually documenting my experiences as they occur. Of course, describing one of the largest and most intense battles I've ever witnessed while simultaneously fighting in said battle is a nigh impossible task. It's a horrible shame, especially given the tremendous scale of the fight. The best I can do now is to describe after the fact what happened for posterity's sake. Listening to me talk is not quite as fulfilling as witnessing the raw action itself, but I'll do my best to paint as complete and honest a picture as my memory can provide.

But, before I do that, I must preface this by mentioning just how admirably those girls performed overall. Sure, they made a lot of bone-headed mistakes, and I do mean a lot. But, they prevailed in the end. Not only that, they did so without killing anyone this time around, which given their history is quite the feat. Okay, okay… maybe they're not deliberately attempting to murder people. I'm not that cynical. However, as I said before, they are not in a position where they truly need to sacrifice anyone. Which is good, because our enemy was hell-bent on making sure that as many people as possible, myself and my senshi included, met their demise.

Anyway, the senshi initially had no idea how to approach the situation they had come across given how unfamiliar it was to them. For me, it was like stepping back in time and reliving some of the utter strangeness Usagi and her friends had to cope with. I mean, cartoonish monsters concocted from everyday objects such as cars or shoes and brought to life? Not to downplay their effectiveness or sheer terror-inducing impact on my senshi, but it's a complete reversal in tone from everything they had experienced thus far. It seemed more like a very colorful dance of sorts instead of a pitched war between vicious creatures out to destroy the planet and magical warriors destined to protect humanity. In many ways it was downright whimsical. Or, at least, it seemed that way at first.

I did make sure to use the word terror, right?

To place this in some sort of context, most plants don't usually incite fear in people. With very few notable exceptions, they don't really do much of anything except sit in one place and, on occasion, produce flowers that become fruit or vegetables or seeds or… The point I'm trying to make is that plants don't move about at frighteningly rapid speeds and attack people with vines. Vines with pointy barbs at their tips, I might add. It's a good thing that was the second enemy my senshi had to fight. In many ways, being chased and threatened with impalement was preferable to the harrowing experience those girls were subjected to by our first enemy.

So, what was our first enemy? Simply put: a violin. Well… a walking, talking violin that towered over even Atsuko by a full meter. Worse yet, a violin that could compel the girls to move against their will simply by playing a melody. Fortunately the mere act of hearing its wretched music didn't affect us, but that only made it more fearsome. Asami was its first victim, having strayed a little too close to its zone of influence in her zeal to attack the thing. Atsuko followed closely behind in an ill-fated attempt at rescue. For whatever silly reason, Yukina thought she could do a better job at saving the pair than Atsuko. Riko knew better than to get anywhere close to that creature and tried to stop Yukina by stepping in front of her friend. She might as well have stepped out in front of a speeding truck for all she knew. That's how Chieko and I managed to be the only ones not forced into dancing a silly waltz—literally. For at least a few seconds their antics appeared rather comical, but it didn't last. Seeing the raw horror scrawled across each of their faces chastened me. Chieko's was the worst, because despite her desperate rummaging through her computer for clues she knew she was all but useless at that point.

This moment in the story is where I come in and immediately save the day. Or, at least, it should have been. A single blast of energy from my Garnet Rod was enough to destroy that youma assuming I could get in a clean hit. However, I quickly learned its reasoning behind hijacking four of my senshi. My first strike was deflected Riko's flames and my second pushed aside by Asami's Crescent Beam. Worse yet, that laser-like energy nearly separated my head clean from my body. I knew then and there that a direct attack was out of the question, at least so long as it knew where the attack originated. Luckily, Chieko realized the same thing at about the same time and made ready to flood the area with her distinctive fog.

Heh… given what I know now, I'm conflicted about whether I should applaud my opponent's inventiveness or cry out in anger at being so readily duped. Chieko would probably vouch for the latter. After all, I wasn't the one blown across the plaza and smashed head-first into a tree by Yukina's tiara—a tiara whose power was enhanced with Atsuko's lightning. That sneak attack knocked out my sole ally and left me in a rather precarious position. The only way I could have escaped such a situation was through pure luck.

To put that another way, the reason I seem to be so unlucky with everything else recently is that I was saving up my luck for that one moment.

As I said, the entrapped senshi had no real control over their bodies or their powers for that matter, but they still had some semblance of situational awareness. They might have a more complex set of relationships than the sisterly friendships Usagi and her cohorts had—and, believe me, it's certainly a miracle that such craziness has only led to a few minor scraps between them. In the end, they all generally like one another. None of the girls hate any other girl enough to want to see her dead or even injured. So, strangely enough I was relieved to see pure fury erupt onto Atsuko's face, for I had a sneaking suspicion about what would happen soon thereafter. Let's just say she didn't disappoint, though the others needed a few moments after regaining control of their bodies to brush the wood slivers from their uniforms.

Now, I wish we only had to fight against one youma earlier today, but I already mentioned that plant-like monster—or rather monsters, three of those bastards to be precise. Each one had like thick green stem for a body and used several long vines to walk about and skewer its opponents. Instead of having a head, the tops of their stems contained several ornate flowers of various colors. Worst of all, they appeared almost immediately after their comrade died. I'll admit to feeling a strong dose of shock and maybe even a little fear upon seeing them, although thinking about it now it probably was to give us no time to recover. On the other hand, the selfish part of my persona enjoyed the fact those youmas didn't attack us but instead blew right past us as though we didn't exist. I didn't hesitate to send out my own attack, striking the one closest to me right in its midsection. To my chagrin it acted as though it had merely tripped and kept on its charge. At no time did it even recognize my presence, let alone retaliate.

After spending a few minutes tending to Chieko and ensuring she was well enough to fight let alone stand on her own without wanting to vomit, we took off in pursuit of those plant youmas. Only when we caught up to them did we find out why they ignored us. To put it plainly, we were not their target. I mean, we really were their target, but in the most roundabout manner I've seen yet. The youmas directed their focus on the large group of people they had trapped within a theater. The monsters had blocked the doorways, and we had to shove our way past it. And, by shove, I mean I blasted one of those monsters clear across the room. Unfortunately my attack once again failed to kill the damned thing, but it gave us an opening to rescue some of people.

An opening, but not an actual chance.

You see, by the time we actually got into the room, many of the people had already succumbed to the youmas. They were still alive, but... I think zombie would probably be the best way to describe them. It was easy to tell they weren't themselves when each person had a massive flower growing from their forehead. In my opinion this tactic was far more treacherous than what the violin youma had done to my senshi. There certainly wasn't any dancing going on this time around, only ducking and dodging the dozens of people who were out for our blood. Worse, we couldn't really attack them, for reasons I found obvious. Though, as usual, my senshi had other ideas. At least they had enough sense to not use their magical attacks, but I still vehemently disagree with their misguided thinking. Those girls are still far stronger than any normal human when transformed. They need to be more conscious of this fact before they accidentally do kill someone they're trying to save… again. But, that's all in the past so, whatever.

Anyway, since the next thirty minutes or so were rather bland, I'll skip over that and just say we finally managed to deal with the zombies. The trick to that was to remove the flowers from their heads, which was difficult enough without nearly getting stabbed by a vine every few seconds. Defeating the youmas required doing the same thing to them, though they had a few more flowers to pluck—or blast away, which was my favored tactic. It turned out all I had to do was aim a little higher. Of course, actually hitting those bastards was easier to do when my senshi decided not to dash into the line of fire. I swear I accidentally hit each of those girls at least once. Yes, they had to dodge vines and whatnot, and I'm also sure they were trying to position themselves to do the same thing I was doing. That didn't require constantly getting in my way though. Yeah, we did eventually beat those things, otherwise I wouldn't be here right now, but I found their interruptions so damned frustrating.

All in all, I'd say it was a pretty eventful evening. I'm glad it's over. Clearly my nemesis is shifting this war to a completely different playing field. However, I know what it plans to do. Because of that I can fight back. I refuse to succumb to its dirty tricks.

Anyway, with that done, maybe I can go back to talking about my meeting with my senshi.

…Or not. Luna just showed up. Given that I didn't invite her here, it's certainly not for one of our planned meetings. Not only that, she sounds especially determined to find me. Well, in that case, let's not keep her waiting. Though, I have a sneaking suspicion that whatever reason she has for speaking with me can't possibly be good.

* * *

Author's Note: This chapter was a bit delayed due to real life getting in the way, but it's done now. That means there are only two more chapters to go until the end. Please let me know what you think—if it's great or if there's room for improvement.


	9. Puppets

**9 | Puppets**

I really hate it when Luna decides to be a complete pain in the ass.

Don't get me wrong. Despite our differences I really do regard her with a great amount of respect. She's done more than her fair share over the several millennia that we've worked together in order to earn that respect. It's just that I don't understand why she would rush to invade my sanctuary only to then lob baseless accusations at me. I did my best to withstand her unnecessary fury—which, I might add, is a much scarier sight when she's not in her feline disguise—and to try to calm her down, but I'm not sure if I succeeded at all in doing that. The last thing I wanted was for our relationship to turn sour at such a critical time. We already have enough things to fight against without having to fight each other. But, there's not much I can do to fix things right now, now when I'm currently rushing across the entire damned city as it seems to respond to yet another attack.

I would say this whole thing is completely unfair, but I can't blame my nemesis for doing this. It's a perfectly valid tactic and I'm surprised it didn't think of doing this to us much earlier. Hell, I'd make sure that thing's warriors, whatever they were, would never have a moment's rest if our roles were swapped. Having said that… if I ever get the opportunity to fight this idiot one-on-one I'll make sure to kick its ass even harder now for dragging me away from home before I even had any time to recuperate from that last battle. And, for the record, I fully recognize that I'm in much better condition than those girls are in right now. That doesn't make my complaints any less valid.

Anyway, I'm here and… huh? It seems I'm very much alone. That's weird. Not only are there no senshi here, which I fully expected since I'm faster than them, but there's nothing for me to fight. I swear I felt a wide expanse of negative energy pretty much blanketing this area only a few seconds ago. Hmm. Come to think of it, I have a pretty good idea of what just happened. That creature must've teleported away the instant it spotted me. Of course that means I was being unusually sloppy in order to be detected so easily, but that's not entirely unexpected after what we've been through. After all, I'm not a perfect being. Far from it as a matter of fact.

Speaking of imperfection, I bet that's Luna. She must be wondering where on Earth I am right now.

Yes, Luna I— No, I didn't get lost. I just— Of course I know where you guys are. Just make sure they— Fine. Whatever… I'll be there as soon as I can.

Well, that could have gone a lot better, but I can't really worry about that now. I need to… wait. What the heck is that? I know for a fact I didn't see anything like that. And it's addressed to me as well, so surely my dear opponent is responsible. Heh. Come to the puppet show, it says. How quaint. If I'm right about what this message is saying, then I'd rather die before I stand around and let them have that sort of satisfaction ever again. Though, to be honest, they'll be the ones dead after I'm done. This whole charade has gone on for far too long and I'm tired of it all. I'm nobody's toy, dammit. I might hate teleporting with a passion but I don't feel like wasting even another second here.

* * *

Okay… what the hell? I swear this is where Luna told me to go, but I don't see her or the senshi anywhere. Though, unless I'm merely imagining things, it does look like a battle occurred here only recently. Yep, those scorch marks are still hot to the touch, which I'm fairly certain was Atsuko's doing. So, where are they? Given how desperate Luna sounded the girls definitely were still fighting when she called me, and I only left a few seconds later. This doesn't make—

"Pluto? Is that you? You have no idea how glad I am to see you right now."

Huh? Artemis? What happened here? Where are Luna and the senshi?

"I honestly wish I knew. They were right here, I'll give you that much, and not even a few seconds ago at that. I'm certain you noticed that light."

What light? I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, besides the fact that my girls are nowhere to be found.

"Hmm. That's really worrying, then, because in one moment I was watching them battle a youma, the next moment I'm nearly blinded by this really bright light, and then I see you. Beyond that, I don't know what to tell you."

You might not know, but I'm getting a pretty good idea that a certain someone does know. The problem is they're too busy taunting me.

"What do you mean?"

Look over there.

"W-what? Hurry, you are missing the puppet show? That makes no sense at all."

There was another message addressed to me that also mentioned puppets. Our nemesis clearly is behind this, but beyond messing with me I can't quite pin down its plan. I'm pretty sure the senshi are a part of that plan though.

"Um, if we're supposed to go to this so-called puppet show, you'd think they'd tell us where it is. Otherwise there's no point in all of this."

I agree with you that there's no point to this madness. However, I doubt they're leading me on a wild goose chase. I can't see how it serves my opponent's purpose.

"Unless of course that's the whole—huh? Oh, sorry Pluto, but Luna's calling me right now. Maybe she knows what happened."

Go ahead Artemis. I'll wait.

Hmm. Hopefully Luna can tell us where that thing took them, as that's likely where we're headed next. Even then, I don't know what to expect when we get there.

"Right. We'll be there soon. Stay safe, Luna. Oh, Pluto! They're fighting at the base of Tokyo Sky Tree."

I swear they're trying to drive me insane. That's very close to where I was before I was told to come here.

"Really?"

Yes. How much do you want to bet they'll once again be moved somewhere else the instant we arrive?

"I can't really say, but I pray that doesn't happen. The girls are in terrible shape as it stands, and all this teleporting can't be good for them."

At least they're not the ones providing the energy for it. Why do you think we always require at least five senshi to do a Sailor Teleport?

"I see. Sorry you had to go through the agony of teleporting here alone."

It's not your fault, Artemis. However, the bastards responsible for this will wish to teleport a million times over rather than face what I have coming for them. Anyway, let's go.

* * *

Well, it seems that they're actually here this time. However, something doesn't—the hell? Artemis! Wait! It's too dangerous! Dammit! What the hell drove him to run out after them like that?

"How amusing. You, of all creatures in this universe, dare pretend to not know the answer to your own question? I refuse to fall for such an elementary attempt at deception."

So you say. If you really think that, then would you believe it if I said that I'm happy we're finally meeting in person after all this time?

"That's a statement I'll accept without reservation, especially when I harbor the exact same emotion. Or, to put it more bluntly, I cannot wait to kill you. But, I'll have my fun with you first."

Heh. I'm very surprised to hear you say such things. Are you sure you're not reading my thoughts instead?

"I'm quite certain. Now, as I said, I'm not going to kill you just yet. For one, it's not sporting to—"

Dead Scream.

"Oh, come now, Pluto. This is no time for silly tantrums. If I were you I would save my energy instead of wasting it on feeble, so-called attacks. Now, as I was saying before you rudely interrupted me, I don't consider it sporting for us to fight when your travels has weakened you. Instead, I suggest that we spend your remaining time in this existence talking."

What? Talking? That's it, you say? You can't possibly be serious. There is nothing at all that you and I ever have to talk about.

"_Au contraire_, my dear Setsuna. Oh, my mistake. I forgot you no longer use that particular pseudonym. It's a shame that you let one tiny act ruin your use of a name I consider especially beautiful. What is it you have your unfortunate minions call you now? Ah, don't bother. In a few minutes none of that will matter, but in the meantime I think you will find it extremely useful to your psyche to know the brilliance of my strategy. After all, despite your opinion of me, I am gracious enough to grant a condemned person their one final wish."

If your strategy really was so brilliant, you wouldn't let me continue to live when you hold such a large advantage over me. Every second you wait and blather on about useless bullshit I grow ever stronger. And, don't think that shield is going to protect you against what I have planned for you. You'd do well to kill me now, for I'm not that compassionate.

"In due time. Believe me, when that time arrives I will enjoy it immensely. Until then I suggest enjoying the show I have meticulously prepared for you. Watch as my forces work with brutal efficiency in defeating the enemies in their path."

Heh. Now I know damn well you've gone mad. I don't know if you noticed, but my senshi just destroyed all three of your pathetic youmas without much effort.

"And this is where you make your second mistake. I believe you truly meant to say _my_ senshi, not yours. In fact, they were never yours to begin with."

What the hell do you mean by that? I found each of those girls and gave them access to their powers, specifically so they could fight against you. For you to claim them as your senshi is laughable at best—which, by the way, will be their reaction to me royally kicking your ass once this is done.

"Yes, you found them. Yes, you gave them powers, so to speak, and lead them along whatever misguided strategy you decided upon. That fine, but it's also meaningless. They follow my behest at every turn, without question. They do so today, just as they've done during every encounter between us ever since you created them. Just to prove my point, if they were your senshi as you continue to claim then you should be able to stop them from what I'm about to make them do."

…Y-you… you are an absolute fucking monster! Chronos Typhoon!

"How kind of you. Really, though, your anger is misguided, and while I admit that this effort was stronger than your previous one, it's still woefully insufficient. Now, please remind me which one of us spent so much of her time and effort in training those girls to not kill these supposed innocents. I loathe those foul beings, so it clearly wasn't me. You, on the other hand, seem to hold to this useless belief that you need to protect the most wretched creatures this galaxy has to offer."

What the hell did you do to them? Tell me! You must have brainwashed them somehow! Didn't you? Dammit, you'll only wish for me to kill you once I'm done with you!

"Did I really? Given that I've never even seen them in person until today and I've never talked to them or even stood within arm's reach, I have to disagree. You'll be amazed by the immense power of mere suggestion. Make a senshi want to move here, subtly place a supposed threat to their life—or better yet, a threat to the life of the person the love more than anything or anyone else—over there. Make it appear to them that they have no other options, even if that's not true. All I have to do is sit back and watch their inevitable reactions, especially since you've done practically nothing to make them truly think they could save everyone. Oh, you did solve that one trick of mine, and I applaud you for that, but three of your precious humans had to die in the process. And, you know what's the worst part of all this, at least for you? You did it all to yourself. Everything you're seeing right now is your fault.

"Now, I know what you must be thinking, especially since you're wallowing too deeply in your fury to actually speak: how in the world could this possibly be my fault? Well, I'll tell you. As it stands, none of those senshi is competent enough to defeat me. Not one. However, I remember there was a particular senshi who could easily defeat me, a girl who would never succumb to my devices so readily. Ah, her name, her name… it was Usagi, am I right? Yes, I see that spark of recognition. Don't you wish she still existed? For all her clumsiness and utter cluelessness at times, she would have destroyed me had we fought. You know that just as well as I do. Not only that, her soul wouldn't be as sullied as yours is, or the souls of those girls for that matter. So, given that a direct fight between us would have ended poorly for me, I did the next best thing. I had you eliminate her for me. At that you did a splendid job. In fact, I—"

Don't you dare say another fucking word. Not about her. You don't get that right. That blessed angel did not die in vain. However, you will.

"Of course your oh-so precious Usagi did not die in vain. I mean, look around you. What do you see? I'll tell you what I see, which is her legacy coming to fruition. It's the most beautiful vision I have ever witnessed. And, by that look in your eyes I notice you're starting to agree with me. How splendid."

Heh. It all makes sense now. I fully understand how Haruka and Michiru felt all this time. I'm such a fool, as usual.

"Now, now… how do you expect us to have a conversation if you're suddenly going to whisper? Speak up. Or would you rather I skip directly to the part of this escapade where I kill you?"

It doesn't matter. You'd ever understand, anyway, given how devoid you are of love and how incapable you are of feeling it.

"Yes, love, the pathetic emotion that weakens anyone infected by it. The reason I despise it so much is actually because I fully comprehend it."

I'm glad. It means you won't need me to explain to you what I'm about to do next.

"If you're still—"

* * *

"Sailor Pluto! Sailor Pluto! Are you okay? Please talk to us. Sailor Pluto?"

"She's still breathing, isn't she? Tell me she's still breathing."

"It's very shallow, but she's still breathing. Though, I think she will need some serious medical attention as soon as possible. Her vital signs appear to be decreasing every second we don't get her help."

"Well, duh! Anyone lucky enough to survive an explosion that huge will need a doctor. That had to hurt like hell."

"Wait… everyone shut up for a moment. It looks like she's saying something."

"What's that, Sailor Pluto? What did you say? Sailor Pluto?"

A world without Usagi truly is not worth living in.

"Huh? W-what does that mean? And, um, what's with that face? Sailor Pluto?"


	10. The End

**10 | The End**

Hello, my name is Luna. Pluto normally would create this message, as she did with every other entry within this diary of sorts, but her death prevents this. I wish I could say that she died valiantly to save all of humanity. Instead, she died selfishly, taking with her the only means we had at the time of rescuing this planet from the evil that engulfs it as I speak.

I don't know what compelled her to attack her own senshi with such viciousness. Those girls were not perfect and they made horrible mistakes even during their final battle. Maybe they failed to live up to her standards, or to the promise set by Usagi. I know that Pluto hasn't been the same ever since she had to kill Usagi. I understand that. Maybe I just had a better time in coping with that girl's loss. All of us loved her dearly, or came close to feeling that way about her. But, that's no excuse for sacrificing our future the way Pluto has done. Those girls were our only hope. Pluto has destroyed that hope, and I'm not sure if I can ever forgive her for that. Artemis and I cannot fight these monsters by ourselves. Our magic doesn't work that way. All we can do is run away.

That is why we have fled Japan, as it is beyond salvation. Korea and much of China may have already fallen as well, all in their fervent desire to hunt us down. I sincerely hope we can find Helios before they find us. If not then… well, I don't want to even imagine the consequences. Helios has assisted us once before, but under circumstances that weren't nearly so precarious. Maybe he can help us to find new senshi, although actually granting them their powers is another hurdle altogether. That was Pluto's sole domain.

Anyway, I'm afraid I must keep this short as we need to leave here soon. I don't know if we'll ever escape our pursuers. There have been way too many close calls. But, if you are from the future and are hearing my voice, then it means humanity somehow has survived this coming apocalypse. Only Selene knows if such a miracle ever comes true. For the sake of all that is good in this entire universe, I hope it does.


End file.
